Highlander - Director's Cut (1986) ***1/2

Highlander (1986) feels like it was written by a 12-year-old boy. I mean that in the best way possible. Very little about this movie makes much sense and Russell Mulcahy’s music video background is overwhelmingly obvious in the editing and cinematography. 

To be fair, Mulcahy's music video resume is legendary—he directed clips for the likes of AC/DC, The Stranglers, XTC, The Tubes, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet (including "True," an all-time jam), Fleetwood Mac (including "Gypsy"), Billy Joel (including "Pressure," a favorite), Elton John, Rod Stewart (including "Young Turks"), Bonnie Tyler's iconic (and ridiculous) "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" (probably the most easily identifiable in terms of visual similarities to Highlander), and of course The Buggles' "Video Killed The Radio Star" (the first to be played on MTV).

Christopher Lambert is brooding and goofy in equal measure. Clancy Brown is such a cartoonishly over the top villain that I loved every second he was on screen. Sean Connery’s character is patently ridiculous. The women's roles are woefully underwritten. Queen’s slick soundtrack (which I actually have, so I’d heard it numerous times prior to seeing the film for the first time tonight) perfectly backs the bizarreness of the festivities. And the lore of Highlander is...well, so incredibly convoluted and schizophrenic that it's silly and just plain fun.

Highlander is the type of sublime 80s sci-fi/fantasy cheese that is tailor-made for me. Every popular trope, costume, and image you can think of is slapped on screen here in an “everything but the kitchen sink” fashion. I’m glad I finally got around to seeing this cult flick—it took me way too long to do so. I plugged a gaping hole in my film watching and I had a blast with it. You might say it was a kind of magic.